Typhoon Haiyan: Eye of the Storm Reporter Atom Araullo 'a Hero'

A Filipino reporter has become an internet sensation for his live reporting on the deadly Typhoon Haiyan.

Atom Araullo, a reporter for ABS-CBN News, was called a hero on social media for braving the strongest typhoon on record to report on the devastation it caused in the city of Tacloban.

Video footage recorded by Araullo when the typhoon, locally known as Yolanda, hit the central Philippines, has gone viral on the internet and has been viewed more than one million times on YouTube.

Araullo, 31, spoke live as howling winds and torrential rain battered him on a deserted street.

Hours after the report was broadcast the reporter's name was trending worldwide on Twitter.

"Atom Araullo is the real Superman," tweeted @Yhangskieee.

Moments before it hit land, Haiyan recorded 314km/h winds, gusting at 379 km/h, according to Nasa.

"@atomaraullo is indeed a hero. Thank you for giving us the information," wrote @judajudaas.

The name of the cameraman who dared the typhoon with Araullo is not known.

"To Atom Araullo and his team, I salute you. Fearless coverage at its finest," tweeted @wxyangz.

Tacloban was one of the worst affected cities by the typhoon, which is believed to have killed 10,000 people.

A state of emergency has been declared in the city, the capital of the central Philippine province of Leyte, following widespread looting by desperate survivors.